Premises are offered which constitute a goal, an ideal, and a student-centered philosophy for the process of education in Vermont. The premises are as follows: (1) the emphasis must be upon learning rather than teaching; (2) a student must be accepted as a person; (3) education should be based upon the individual's strong, inherent desire to learn and to make sense of his environment; (4) all people need success to prosper; (5) education should strive to maintain the individuality and originality of the learner; (6) emphasis should be upon a child's own way of learning--through discovery and exploration and through real rather than abstract experiences; (7) the development of an individual's through process should be primary; (8) people should perceive the learning process as related to their own sense of reality; (9) an individual must be allowed to work according to his own abilities; (10) the teacher's role must be that of a partner and guide in the learning process; (11) the development of a personal philosophy, a basic set of values, is perhaps one of the most important of human achievements; (12) we must seek to individualize our expectations of a person's progress as we strive to individualize the learning experiences for each person; (13) the environment within which students are encouraged to learn must be greatly expanded; (14) the school should provide a structure in which students can learn from each other; (15) to provide a maximum learning experience for all students requires the invilvement and support of the entire community; (16) schools should be compatible with reality; and (17) individuals should be encouraged to develop a sense of responsibility, Ways of implementing the process for improved learning opportunities are outlined. (DB)